I have read some scary reviews that had me concerned I made a bad choice. I can't overstate how pleased and impressed we were with the cleanliness, the friendliness of the staff, the quality of the food and the comfort of our balcony stateroom. I was also pleasantly surprised to find that I never really felt "crowded". Sure, getting on and off the boat were met with lines, but they were excellent at managing the flow and went very quickly.

Our booking agency "gifted" us with beverage service. We weren't able to consume 15 drinks a day, but we are in our 50's and we gave it our best shot. I'm not sure I would purchase this service otherwise.

For years I rejected invitations to go on a cruise. My favorite cousin-in-law made quite a pitch to get me to change my position, but it had to be an Alaskan cruise. My experience on the Ruby Princess has changed my idea of vacationing. This was by far the greatest vacation of my life. I may be a cruise nerd now. I'm definitely a Princess cruise line fan.